Gaofen-3-02 - CZ-4C - Jiuquan - November 22, 2021 (23:45 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Gaofen-3

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1297393927142572032

(PROBABLE) The Yuan Wang 3 tracking ship was found crossing through the Sunda Strait of Indonesia 2 days ago into the Indian Ocean, consistent w/ an upcoming SSO launch from Taiyuan soon w/ the LM-4C rocket. A follow-on to the GF-3 C-band radar sat is there & this might be it.

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1298170509515866113

(RUMOR) After entering the Indian Ocean the Yuan Wang 3 tracking ship went W instead of SW as expected, which lessen the chance of a LM-4C launch soon & aligns more with the LM-2F (s/n T3 according to a Chinese guidance control paper)/spaceplane thingy flying soon!

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1298494233855193088

(CONFIRMED) A 1 m resolution C-band SAR sat follow-on to GF-3 (may probably be called “GF-3-02”) is in the works and may launch later this year, maybe within the next month, from Jiuquan on LM-4C to a 755 km high SSO, a first for the LM-4 series to polar orbits.

Previous launch thread:
Gaofen-3 (01) launched August 9, 2016.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post/FYI:

There are reports that all Long March 4 series launches will be grounded till "end of this year" due to unspecified problems with the rockets.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-posts:

There are reports that all Long March 4 series launches will be grounded till "end of this year" due to unspecified problems with the rockets.

The same person is currently reporting that he/she does not expect any LM-4 launches in November, “maybe one” in December.

Return To Flight of CZ-4B and 4C:

To be launched:
-0X Dec 2020 Long March 4B Yaogan-31-02

To be launched:
-2X Dec 2020 Long March 4C

There's probably at least 1 more Chinese launch before the year ends, but the details are vague:

https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1341269971028987905

Which was the launch of Yaogan-33R on a CZ-4C.

Then followed by the launch of Yaogan-31 Group 02 on a CZ-4C.

[Satori]

Yuanwang-6 departed port possibly to support this mission. Launch can be expected on the second half of February.

[Liss]

Well, AFAIK the two successors to GF-3 would be named Haiyang-3.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

Spaceflightfans.cn is giving July 6 (TBC) as the launch date for Tianlian-1 (05).

Also listed is CZ-2D Y59 with Jilin-1 Kuanfu-01B on July 5th and CZ-4C Y28 with Gaofen-3 02 on July 7th.

[Josh_from_Canada]

Spaceflightfans.cn now lists this launch on July 5th

[Galactic Penguin SST]

A1413/21 NOTAMN
Q) ZLHW/QRTCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/3527N09816E012
A) ZLHW B) 2107042308 C) 2107042354
E) A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED
BY:N351605E0981919-N351858E0980640-N353950E0981341-N353654E0982628
BACK TO START. ALL ACFT SHALL BE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE
RESTRICTED AREA. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL.
F) GND G) UNL

[Galactic Penguin SST]

Correction: the above NOTAM is apparently for the FY-3E launch instead.

[Vahe231991]

According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_launches_in_July%E2%80%93December_2021), the Gaofen 3-02 launch is now scheduled for October.

[zubenelgenubi]

According to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_launches_in_July%E2%80%93December_2021), the Gaofen 3-02 launch is now scheduled for October.

Be very careful about Wikipedia.  It's a secondary level source, at best.

If you follow the footnote link (http://www.spaceflightfans.cn/event/long-march-4c-launch-gaofen-3-02-satellite), the launch date is August 31, 2021, to be determined: which means, in their record-keeping, sometime in August, to be determined.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

Spaceflightfans.cn lists Gaofen-3 02 on August 17th and Gaofen-3 03 on September 4th.

More particularly, the listing gives a launch window 06:00-08:00 August 17 BST.
BST - 8 hours = UTC
= 2200-2400 August 16 UTC.

spaceflightfans.cn links
Gaofen-3 (02)
Gaofen-3 (03)

Edit: belated month correction

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

Cross-post:

Spaceflightfans.cn lists Gaofen-3 02 on August 17th and Gaofen-3 03 on September 4th.

More particularly, the listing gives a launch window 06:00-08:00 August 17 BST.
BST - 8 hours = UTC
= 2200-2400 August 16 UTC.

spaceflightfans.cn links
Gaofen-3 (02)
Gaofen-3 (03)

Edit: belated month correction

Now that website has those two launches scheduled for September (TBD) and 2021 (TBD) respectively.

Edit August 22,  same source:
Gaofen-3 (03) launch is now TBD 2022.

[zubenelgenubi]

spaceflightfans.cn link Gaofen-3 (02)

Now that website...for September (TBD)...

Now October TBD

[zubenelgenubi]

For completeness: This didn't launch in September; no new news.

[zubenelgenubi]

No further news, as of this post.

[input~2]

NOTAM pointing to a launch out of JSLC between November 22 and 25

F3484/21 - AEROSPACE FLIGHT ACTIVITY FROM CHINA WILL TAKE PLACE
FLW RECEIVED FROM CAAC: DUE TO AN AEROSPACE FLIGHT ACTIVITY, THE
FLIGHT SAFETY OF AIRCRAFT IN THE FOLLOWING AREA MAY BE AFFECTED.
CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPACT AREA:
S243343 E0861428
S252617 E0860011
S253130 E0862320
S243853 E0863726. SFC - UNL, DAILY 2230/0100, 22 NOV 22:30 2021 UNTIL 26 NOV
01:00 2021. CREATED: 16 NOV 00:01 2021

[Galactic Penguin SST]

A2950/21 NOTAMN
Q) ZLHW/QRTCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/3532N09821E012
A) ZLHW B) 2111222337 C) 2111230004
E) A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY:
N352013E0982450-N352302E0981204-N354359E0981858-N354106E0983144
BACK TO START. ALL ACFT ARE FORBIDDEN TO FLY INTO THE TEMPORARY
RESTRICTED AREA. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL.
F) GND G) UNL

Does anyone know how close this zone is to other drop zones out of Jiuquan?

[Josh_from_Canada]

Does anyone know how close this zone is to other drop zones out of Jiuquan?

It looks close to previous first stage drop zones from that base. The NOTAM in the Southern Indian Ocean would be for the second stage of a CZ-2C or CZ-2D rocket. Perhaps this launch is using a CZ-2C with a SMA or YZ-1S upper stage or a CZ-2D with a YZ-3 upper stage.

[input~2]

Does anyone know how close this zone is to other drop zones out of Jiuquan?

Plenty of previous drop zones from JSLC launches around here